I listened to the M9 Barenboim/SK Berlin last week over a couple of different sessions in my car. I had hoped to immediately type some first impressions, but was unable. So here goes:
I feel that most of my other M9 listenings over the last several months have had longish outer movements of perhaps 28+ minutes or so. So right off the bat, the tempos that Barenboim uses strike me as fresh and different. The woodwinds are indeed very forward throughout the performance, adding to my sense of rediscovery. In terms of the first movement, some of the negatives that I noticed are that certain tempos strike me as slightly rushed, the tam-tam at the climax is covered up (but this could have been exacerbated by car noise), and in the final bars, the held solo brass note is too forward. All in all, though, a very enjoyable first movement. IIRC, Abbado/BPO/DG has a similarly timed first movement, but Barenboim seems be both faster and slower in certain sections.
The second movement just sounds too fast. There does not seem to be any difference among the trio sections, which, if done properly, should get faster as the movement goes along. Here, they start out fast, and really have nowhere to go. However, the playing is still splendid, so the movement still works.
And here is where my memory is failing me -- For the most part the R-B is well played and aggressive enough, but the percussion at the end is inconsistent. The finale seems to have all of the same pluses and minuses as the opening movement -- solid playing, enjoyably forward woodwinds, but some tempos that strike me as being a little rushed (not at the very ending section though). Again, though, my complaints about the tempos are certainly biased by all of the longer M9's to which I've recently listened. This is an M9 to which I will return soon.
